Codemasters announce new Grid game.

Brave

Thing was, they kind of sold Grid as a successor to Toca, and it just wasn’t. So there’s a fair amount of resentment towards it in certain circles. Okay, in my circle; which might be defined more accurately as a dot =)

BritishBean

Brave I wanted to like GRID, locations and cars in the game we’re fine but I could never get on with the handling model. I’m firmly in the camp of hoping it’s approach has moved to something similar to a F1 / Dirt games.

DrDamn

Apparently GRID 2 is free on Steam for a couple of days.

Fumanstu

Just to make @DrDamn feel better, I quite liked the GRID games too. ;)

Brave

Weirdly, I’m kind of looking forward to the previous version on switch. With the expectation that it’s an arcade game.

I just wish there was a proper touring car game now, but tbh it probably wouldn’t be the same without names like David Leslie and John Clelland and all the rest of them from the classic era

Alex

Sadly there isn’t the market for a pure touring car game anymore. Maybe if you combined all the different touring car series from around the world, BTCC, DTM, V8 etc you could make it work. I think we just need to continue to look for touring car style cars found in other games.

I’m not sure there is much demand for arcade-style racers these days either, as they don’t seem to sell very well. Codies tried with Onrush last year but that was a commercial flop, so that might put them off going the sim-cade route. The more sim-like games from Codies have been selling better of late, I think that might just be an industry thing, obviously big titles like Forza and GT sell hotcakes.

I would like them to channel a bit more of the old TOCA vibe with Grid, in the same way Dirt Rally channels Colin McRea Rally. I guess we’ll see.

Alex

Some gameplay recently released. It took me a minute to recognise that was Brand Hatch, it looks like it’s had a hell of a makeover. 😂

Brave

I couldn’t resist getting the Switch port of Autosport. It’s… surprisingly excellent? I think possibly because my expectations are fairly low I’ve come away impressed.

It’s a very good racer on a handheld machine, with enough of a sim vibe to keep me happy and arcady enough handling that I’m happy to play 3rd person with automatic gears although I’ve also played in car and manual is available.

Graphically excellent, amazing choice of controls, with the option of analogue stick acceleration and braking but honestly because of the handling model it’s fine with digital triggers.

It’s not so arcady as to be child’s play though. You have to nail braking points and think about your line, and the AI is super impressive.

Honestly, imo it’s yet another wow moment for the switch. Something that you think shouldn’t really work, works very very well indeed.

GassyHaggis

I’ve been on and off the fence again about this since last week. Plan is to pick up some credit tomorrow. (Switch)

Unless I change my mind again. 😅

Brave

GassyHaggis it’s very good, especially if your brain and thumbs can easily revert to the old OG Gran Turismo analogue stick controls.

I noticed last night that I wasn’t accelerating out of corners “on demand”, it was waiting until I was on the straight. So I went into custom difficulty settings and turned that crap off, but then found I was chewing up the tyres in my double length endurance races.

Analogue sticks cleared that right up for me, but it took about an hour for me to get the hang of it. It’s been a long time since I seriously tried analogue acceleration.

Once I got the hang though, it brought it much closer to feeling like a sim, and added tyre management to the mix. I even got faster than with the triggers eventually.

My only gripe now is hand cramp. Need to dig out my Satisfye grip if I’m going to do 16 minute endurance races =\

GassyHaggis

Brave Interesting. Having used the buttons for Virtua Racing I wasn’t too fussed about having to use them in this. Definitely picking it up. Saw there was a free pack for better textures and what not. Depending on performance, I reckon it will be the graphic performance rather than graphics quality for me.

Curious to see the custom championship options and how a series could be set up.

Project Cars was honestly my dream game but the handling never ever sat right with me. It just felt off and I’ve struggled to settle into any racer since because I know I came so close to my dream game.

So fingers crossed this will plug a gap for a bit.

BritishBean

GassyHaggis Project Cars was honestly my dream game but the handling never ever sat right with me. It just felt off and I’ve struggled to settle into any racer since because I know I came so close to my dream game.

Not to get sidetracked but couldn’t help but agree with this. PCars 2 was so gutting. For me it is the closest a racing game has ever come to perfection. It had the tracks, cars and career approach I wanted, it’s just a shame it was made for steering wheels and game pads were an afterthought. I hold out hope for PCars 3…

Back to GRID 😉

GassyHaggis

Well that is some amount of options from difficulty, to controls, to camera adjustments. Noticed you can change dead zones and analog stick inputs.

Impressed at how clean and smooth the game is. Particularly in performance mode. Only been playing handheld too and haven’t downloaded the hi res pack yet.

Saw what you meant about the computer almost restraining you out of corners Brave. I got a lot of that at the apex and entry when the stability would kick in. Turned the model down to simulation which stopped that but allowed the stability to be kept switched on. Enjoying fiddling around trying to get it to respond the way I want it to but finding that nice middle ground of being comfortable for the Switch.

Looking good so far, albeit only about an hour since power on.

Brave

GassyHaggis Glad you’re enjoying it dude!

They’re adding multiplayer and leaderboards soon I think, so we can get some times laid down then 😉

Brave

New updates incoming.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/12/free_grid_autosport_updates_will_add_split-screen_and_online_multiplayer_on_switch

Disappointed that online is in 2020 but technically that’s not very far away I suppose.

GassyHaggis

Well that’s the online update through in the last week.

I’m sloooooowww. Hah.

Brave

GassyHaggis haha. Might have to fire it up. Wouldn’t surprise me to see folk using adapters to get their wheels working tbh.

GassyHaggis

Cat C Touring Car at Brands no 1 on the global leader board.

Formula C at RedBull ring no 1 too.

(Granted there’s about ten folk tried it but still…👍🏻🤪😂)